A new report reveals that incidents of student suicides in India have been rising at an alarming rate, outpacing both population growth and overall suicide trends. Released at the Annual IC3 Conference and Expo 2024, the report titled "Student Suicides: An Epidemic Sweeping India" is based on National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data. It highlighted that while overall suicide numbers increased by 2 per cent annually, student suicides surged by 4 per cent, despite potential "under-reporting" of cases.
"Over the past two decades, student suicides have grown at an alarming annual rate of 4 per cent, double the national average. In 2022, male students constituted 53 pc (per cent) of the total student suicides. Between 2021 and 2022, male student suicides decreased by 6 per cent while female student suicides increased by 7 per cent," noted the report compiled by IC3 Institute. "The incidence of student suicides continues to surpass both population growth rates and overall suicide trends. Over the last decade, while the population of 0-24-year-olds reduced from 582 million to 581 million, the number of student suicides increased from 6,654 to 13,044," it added.
According to the report, a total of 13,044 student suicides were reported in 2022, a slight decrease from 13,089 in 2021. In contrast, the total number of suicides, including both students and others, rose by 4.2 per cent, from 164,033 in 2021 to 170,924 in 2022. The data indicates that over the past 10 and 20 years, total suicides have increased by an average of 2 per cent annually, while student suicides have surged by 4 per cent, doubling the rate of total suicides.
States and number of student suicides:
| State |
2021 Suicides |
Percentage of Total Suicides (2021)
|
2022 Suicides |
Percentage of Total Suicides (2022) |
| Maharashtra |
1,834 |
14% |
1,764 |
14% |
| Tamil Nadu |
1,246 |
10% |
1,416 |
11% |
| Madhya Pradesh |
1,308 |
10% |
1,340 |
10% |
| Uttar Pradesh |
Not Specified |
Not Specified |
1,060 |
08% |
| Jharkhand |
716 |
05% |
824 |
06% |
Male student suicides are higher
Southern states and union territories collectively contribute 29 per cent of these cases, while Rajasthan, known for its high-stakes academic environment, ranks 10th, highlighting the intense pressure associated with coaching hubs like Kota. Although the 2017 Mental Healthcare Act decriminalises suicide attempts for individuals with mental illness, the legacy of criminalisation continues to impact reporting practices, the report said. Gender-wise, male student suicides are higher than female student suicide counts. Male student suicides increased 50 per cent while female student suicides increased by 61 per cent over the last 10 years. Both male and female students have increased by 5 per cent annually on average over the last five years.
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